Flying Kiwis – December 17
Ben Waine - Port Vale (English League One)
Three weeks ago, Ben Waine was in the footballing wilderness. He was so far out of the frame at Port Vale that he hadn’t even made a matchday squad since late-August, with the exception of getting unused-subbed in an early FA Cup tie against non-league Maldon/Tiptree (which was arguably a greater insult). But as we’ve tracked over the past fortnight, the Waine Train is back on the tracks after he scored in a 5-0 EFL Trophy win against Barnsley and then repeated the dose with the only goal as Port Vale won 1-0 against Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup. Playing out on the left wing, Waine made good use of the extra freedom without having to compete for headers against bigger centre-backs all afternoon. Who knows, this might even prove to be a fruitful permanent position for him.
But while there was certainly a ramp-up from nothing to EFL Trophy and then from EFL Trophy to FA Cup, the most important indicator of where Waine now sits in the hierarchy would come when they next played a league game. That didn’t happen last week because a waterlogged pitch caused their match against Bradford City to get postponed. However, their trip to face Luton Town on the weekend went ahead as planned and what a glorious sight it was to behold Ben Waine in a League One line-up again. The exile is over. After 12 consecutive league games where he didn’t even get onto the bench, suddenly he was starting again. And not only that...
Would you believe it, that’s three in a row. Three goals in three games in three different competitions. They pretty much had to embrace his hot hand considering how the team had gone scoreless in a terrifying six consecutive league games, when you’re in a mess like that and a fringe dude scores twice in a row in the cups then you’d be taking the piss not to give him a crack. Well, that crack paid dividends thanks to a sweet header from a Ruari Paton free kick delivery (the free kick having been won by Waine himself).
That snapped a drought of 406 minutes without a League One goal for PVFC. Devante Cole, one of the deadline day signings who pushed Waine down the depth chart a few months ago, added a second on the other side of half-time to give the Vale the lead... though they couldn’t hold it, settling for a 2-2 draw. That’s fine. It’s a point on the board and at least they scored a couple times. 85 minutes for Waine. He didn’t have any other shooting chances aside from his goal but he was much more involved than he usually is as a striker and seemed to link up well. Might have to start thinking of him as a full-time winger soon.
Darren Moore, PVFC head coach: “[Waine] came to the football club and it probably didn't go as well in the first couple of weeks, but what people won't see is the work he's done behind the scenes to get himself back into it. We're so pleased for him because he epitomises any player that's not been in our team. He's showcased that it's about working hard and getting the just rewards, and he's certainly getting them at the moment.”
Waine-o did say last week that he hoped they’d draw Newcastle United (his favourite Prem team) in the third round of the FA Cup. That didn’t happen... instead they’ve been handed a select broadcast game at home against Fleetwood Town, a club in the division below them and therefore eminently winnable. That’ll be played in early January, by which time Ben Waine should be into double figure goals for the season at the rate he’s currently going.
Meanwhile, we haven’t seen a lot of Matt Garbett excess of late... but Peterborough have been doing some tidy things. After winning 2-1 against Reading in the midweek, with Garbs getting half an hour off the bench, they repeated that scoreline against 10-man Northampton Town (full game for Garbs) to make it two wins on the trot. The Posh almost let a two-goal lead slip near the end after they should have long been out of sight. But given the way they started the season they’ll take three points any way they can get them. Things have definitely improved since new manager Luke Williams came in.
Garbett was pretty busy in that game, able to let loose against a team that picked up a tenth minute red card. He made four tackles, four crosses, and attempted four shots. All of those shots were off target but you get the feeling he’s got another banger brewing some time soon. Northampton’s red card was for a dangerously high boot. The ball then fell for Garbett and initially he was furious at the ref for not letting him play on with an advantage... pretty sure he settled down once the red popped out. Garbs would get a yellow of his own towards the end. He played as a right winger (albeit with freedom to roam a bit), which his gaffer admitted isn’t his preferred spot but he was full of praise for his workrate...
Luke Williams: “It’s not a position he [Garbett] entirely comfortable with but I enjoyed his performance. It was summed up for me when he chased an opponent all the way back towards our penalty area, won the ball back, and then kept possession with a good pass.”
To weave it all together, if you’re looking for something (other than sleeping) to do at 4am on Sunday morning then you’re going to want to set the alarm for Ben Waine vs Matt Garbett in England’s League One. The Waine Train has returned to the station just in time for a Flying Kiwis Derby.
Up Next: Port Vale vs Peterborough, as advertised
Katie Bowen - Inter Milan (Italian Serie A)
Inter Milan are back, it seems. After ending a six-game winless streak across all competitions with a 2-0 victory against Lazio a couple weeks back, they followed that with a 5-0 win over Genoa in which they finally remembered how to score goals. Now, despite falling behind early in the derby against AC Milan, they’ve hammered home this resurgent spell of form by going absolutely crazy in the second half on the way to a 5-1 victory. Katie Bowen played 79 minutes, getting subbed after the fourth goal went in. Tessa Wullaert got four assists while Haley Bujega scored a hat-trick off the bench after being chucked on at half-time with the scores level.
That’s ten goals in two Serie A games after only having scored 11 in seven before that. Good timing because after they get an early round cup game out of the way next week, the league takes a couple weeks off before they resume by hosting Juventus – who are directly ahead of them on the table by two points. Inter are up to fourth after these three wins on the trot. Bowen has started all of them.
Up Next: Como 1907 vs Inter Milano in the Coppa Italia at 2.30am on Monday (NZT)
Ryan Thomas – PEC Zwolle (Dutch Eredivisie)
Certainly wouldn’t call this a resurgent spell of form... but after getting absolutely tonked 6-1 by Feyenoord last week, it was a relief to see PEC Zwolle hold on for a 1-0 win against Fortuna Sittard in their last home game of the calendar year (which isn’t that big of a deal because Eredivisie only takes about three weeks off over the holidays). Koen Kostons scored the only goal in the sixth minute and they managed to withstand some overwhelming possession and a couple tricky moments in defence from there. Should have really added a second to make it safe but they got away with it.
Zwolle have had some nasty results this term. Add that 6-1 loss to Feyenoord to the 4-0 against PSV and 8-2 against Heracles beforehand... although they’ve now also won three of their last five. Nothing fancy but enough to climb five points clear of the bottom three. They have the worst goal difference in the division yet are sitting happily in the mid-table murk heading into Christmas. That’ll do nicely.
Thomas was typically excellent in this game, putting in a tremendous amount of work in his ninety minutes, and most of it on the defensive end. Nothing unusual about that – it might be a surprise to some kiwi fans to learn that Thommo is basically a defensive midfielder these days. His job is much more about sitting deeper and breaking up counters and consolidating possession rather than trying to push the ball forward (though he does like to carry into space where possible). He made six tackles, four blocks, and two interceptions against Fortuna... and lots of that was directly up against one of his old PSV comrades...
Mo Ihattaren had a reputation for being undisciplined back in those days, a lad with bountiful yet unfulfilled potential, and the 23yo is only now finally blossoming since he’s moved to Fortuna. Heck of a player but Thommo gave him fits during this match (aside from one instance in the first half where he skinned RT and put a superb ball into the area... where he striker miscontrolled for a goal kick). And in return he got a kiss.
Ryan Thomas: “I think he is such a nice and sweet boy. He's gotten a whole lot of things on him from the media, from certain things that happened. I don't think that's entirely justified but he's so incredibly good. I hope he just stays fit. Then he can take a nice step and have a great career. When you play a friend, it's always fun. Hopefully he doesn't do it to us, but it's always nice to see it on the field.”
Then also because he’s such a champion bloke, here’s a quick yarn about how Thomas hung behind for a significant amount of time afterwards to do a hang out with a local team for players with learning/attention difficulties, who via a local professional club had arranged an outing to watch the match. The other week he was at the children’s hospital. Now here he is going above and beyond again.
VV Berkum: “Berkum United focuses on children and young people for whom participation in regular teams can be challenging, for example, due to ASD or ADHD. This group receives weekly training and regularly organizes special activities to encourage social, sporting, and enjoyable play. Thanks to an initiative by VV Berkum, Berkum United players were able to participate in a club outing to the Eredivisie match. The evening was rounded off with a meet & greet with Ryan Thomas of PEC Zwolle, who took ample time for photos, autographs, and a personal chat with the players – a moment that made a deep impression. This visit offered not only a sporting experience but also an inspiring example of professionalism, motivation, and perseverance.”
Up Next: Excelsior vs PEC Zwolle at 6.45am on Sunday (NZT)
Ben Old - AS Saint-Étienne (French Ligue 2)
The left fullback era of Ben Old’s career has begun. Watch out Libby Cacace, watch out Francis de Vries. After getting close to an hour there as a substitute last week following the injury to Ebenezer Annan, Oldy has now been officially anointed as his temporary replacement. It sounds like Annan isn’t as badly hurt as they initially feared but he did miss the match against Bastia on the weekend. It’s the same injury that caused him to miss four weeks earlier in the season, except it’s the opposite ankle this time. But whereas he was on crutches back then, this time around he was already walking normally a few days later. Might only be a one or two game absence, we shall see. However, with no other fit left-back in the squad to face Bastia that meant it was Ben Old’s time to shine.
‘Shine’ might be an exaggeration... but he did a pretty solid job within a 2-2 draw. His coach had spoken before the game (after confirming that Old would definitely start in that position – and explaining why he thinks that Oldy has a higher ceiling there than any other position) about having zero worries about his abilities 1v1 or the support he’d offer to the forwards, and that he’d soon get the hang of how to deal with balls over the top and various little aspects like that which he had some trouble with last week. That more or less sums up how he looked in the Bastia draw... a game which Saint-Etienne should have won comfortably yet two goals against the run of play and a missed penalty near the end meant they had to settle for a point. Old probably could have done better with the second goal (after a goalkeeping error invited the danger), though he also went close to equalising soon after with a late run into the area and a low shot that was saved at full-stretch.
That’s all fascinating stuff but the real gold came from that pre-game press conference when Eirik Horneland, head coach of ASSE coach, answered several questions in a row about Ben Old. It’s not often we get such an insight into a kiwi player’s stocks from the person who is most in control of their fate as this.
Old’s Season To Date...
“Ben Old had a good summer. He had a different build-up for the for the summer than the rest because he was injured last year. He only came in for the last last four or five matches of the Ligue 1 season. He went away with his national team and had some matches with with them. I think he I think he came back for preseason with a lot of energy.”
Old’s Place Within The Squad...
“He has done a super professional job in the year I’ve been working with him. Did a big job there when he came back from injury and played a lot of matches in the summer. Got good match time there. He has big competition in his [preferred] role, up against Boakye, Cardona, Davitashvili and those type of players. He is different wing player than those others. He has good runs inside the box and attacks the space behind. He’s working really hard.”
Old’s Adapting To The Left Fullback Position
“He’s got less playing time than he’s wanted so he’s a little bit disappointed with his coach and I understand that of course because he wants to play regularly. He’s an international player, a really good player, one of the most professional I’ve ever worked with. He does everything he can to maximize his career. I was so happy for him when he came on against Dunkerque and showed his potential as a left fullback. It’s a difficult game to come into without being trained in that position, to just take it as he took it, and I think he had a very good match in the sixty minutes he played. I was really happy for him and for the way he came into the team.”
Old’s Future Prospects At LB
“I think he added depth to the left side. He gave some flexibility to the left side. He started to create together with [the forwards] and minute by minute that side got more lively. Personally, I see that he could have a big future as a left fullback. I really like him as an attacking left fullback in the right system. He has the flexibility to both play as left winger and also as left fullback but I see his biggest potential, that’s a personal view of course, as a left fullback. And I’m not saying that he cannot have that as a left winger because he can but I really like him coming from behind because he’s got good pace, he’s got good volume in his running, and he’s also good on the ball taking off pressure overloading in the side.”
Incredibly, that outing against Bastia was the first time that Old has ever played ninety minutes in a league game for Saint-Etienne. Took him 26 matches to finally do it – this was just his third start in Ligue 2 this season, finding himself playing even less after relegation than before it (granted, with a new manager). Oldy was also part of that same press conference and, while acknowledging his minutes predicament, he also spoke about feeling very happy and comfortable at the club. He mentioned that he spoke to the board about his situation back when there were rumours about him possibly being loaned out... though now says that he’s glad he stayed and that the best case scenario is to earn more regular opportunities with ASSE. Maybe, just maybe, that window might have arrived for him in the left-back position.
“Yeah I think I did pretty well considering it’s not a position that I’ve ever really played before. So I was nervous coming on, but I felt like I was able to provide something, a lot of attacking energy to the game, which was good. So yeah, unexpectedly positive from that position. I did enjoy it. I got the ball a lot more than I do as a winger and some of my key characteristics as a player were able to come out more in that position. I’ve talked to a lot of people in teh club who are very impressed with how I did in that position. I think it’s still early to say but for me I know that position is open at the moment and it could be very positive for me. But right now I’m just focused on the next game.”
He also joked about New Zealand getting placed with Belgium in the World Cup draw – one of his best mates at ASSE is striker Lucas Stassin who is a fringe player for the Belgians and apparently texted him as soon as that name came out of the bowl.
Up Next: Nice vs ASSE in the French Cup Round of 64 at 2.45am on Monday (NZT)
Suya Haering - Carl Zeiss Jena (German Bundesliga)
You don’t see that very often... in fact, that’s the first time this season that CZJ have been able to celebrate a Bundesliga victory. By their own admission they got pretty lucky against FC Köln, hanging on for a 1-0 win thanks to a penalty kick converted right at the end of the first half by Isabella Jaron. But for a team that’d only managed three draws from their previous 12 league matches, it doesn’t matter how you get it done. They showed plenty of spirit to earn just their second clean sheet of the term (the other being a backs-to-the-wall 0-0 draw against Bayern Munich back in September).
You know what makes this win even better? It was Suya Haering’s first start of the season. She’d previously come off the bench in 9/12 matches so she’d been in and around the side already. But this time they promoted her into the eleven at left wing-back and what do ya know they immediately won their first game. 1/1 with Haering in the starting eleven. 0/12 without her. The evidence is indisputable. Really nice performance from her too, getting stuck in with her challenges and playing the full ninety minutes. Haering (U20 World Cup rep in 2024) made ten starts for Turbine Potsdam last season, plus a couple more bench spots, but that team was terrible and lost every match except for one draw which she wasn’t involved in. Therefore this was her 22nd Bundesliga appearance... and her first taste of victory.
Not that this gets them out of last place. They’ve gotta win another one to make that happen... but they've at least proven that they’re capable. FCK are in eighth on the ladder and had won more games than they’d lost up until getting tripped up here. There are worse teams than that lot that CZJ should be able to compete with. Jena are also into the last eight of the German Cup thanks to a fortunate draw to this point. Lots to play for in the second half of the season.
Up Next: Hoffenheim vs Carl Zeiss Jena at 0:00 on Sunday (NZT)
Kate Taylor - Dijon FCO (French Première Ligue)
Well, the Kate Taylor in midfield experiment didn’t last long. Michael Mayne might not be too happy about that after playing her there in the last international window. Taylor was rested for the 3-0 defeat against Lyon last week straight after Ferns duty and then returned at centre-back as Dijon drew 1-1 against Lens.
Despite playing a team in relegation trouble, Dijon needed a 75th min equaliser from Meriame Terchoun just to get that much on a very foggy evening. That fog might explain how the ball dropped over Taylor’s head for Lens’ goal (56’). Taylor was then subbed after 64 mins with her team behind on the scoreboard (the other CB was the captain so if one of them had to be sacrificed it was going to be KT) and although they did escape with a draw, this was another pesky result for a team that was so good at dispatching the clubs beneath them last season.
Losing to Paris FC, PSG, and Lyon is fine. Everybody does that. But only taking 12 points from a possible 21 against everyone else thus far is what’s holding Dijon back. And there’s a sneaky little inkling that Kate Taylor’s role with the team seems to be less defined this season than it was last time... though that could merely be because the team isn’t doing as well. There’s definitely been an improvement in Taylor’s passing from the back – she completed 63/67 passes in this match and her progressive passes (anything that goes at least 10 yards forward) has increased notably this season. Dijon’s problem isn’t a defensive one... it’s the fact that they’ve only scored eight goals in 10 matches.
Up Next: Away to Saint-Etienne at 9am on Sunday (NZT)
Sarpreet Singh - TSC Backa Topola (Serbian SuperLiga)
Two good things came out of this game. One is that TSC managed to grind the perennial champs Red Star Belgrade (former club of Marko Stamenic) down for a 0-0 draw in a refreshingly error-free performance. They did have to hold their breath with a few Red Star chances to begin with but a very good outing from the TSC goalie took care of that. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to make the most of a couple runaway chances themselves or else this could have really been an upset.
The other good thing that came out of the game was Sarpreet Singh getting 22 mins off the bench. That’s more than he’s played in the previous four games combined since Darije Kalezic got the boot. They put him on the right wing and he did have one sketchy moment where he skied a clearance straight up in the air in his own penalty box, the ball then almost falling for a Red Star forward until the keeper smothered it. But he also nearly set up a winner getting onto the ball up and laying a smooth pass into the path of fellow sub Branko Jovicic who shot straight at the keeper. That was in stoppage time. They also hit the post even later from a deep strike.
A draw will do fine, even if it means that TSC have only won 1/9 league games since the start of October. And at least we’ve seen there’s still a role for Sarpreet Singh under the new regime. As there should be... he’s still their equal second-top goal scorer this season (... with two goals).
Up Next: OFK Beograd vs TSC at 1am on Monday (NZT)
Max Crocombe - Millwall (English Championship)
Bummer weekend in the Championship this time around. Millwall conceded a couple early ones on the way to a 3-1 loss against Hull City. They did get a 1-1 draw away to Derby County midweek but one point from two matches has seen them dip down to fourth in the Champo standings. The Derby game featured a pair of own goals and the one that Millwall conceded was an especially freaky concession: a defender randomly just powered a header into his own net from ten yards out off a corner kick. Against Hull, the goals that Crocombe conceded were tap-ins after square passes across the six yard box and an uncontested header from about nine yards out. Crocombe made some good saves when he was given a chance. He’s made at least three saves in each of his last seven matches.
As for the others, Swansea City lost 2-1 to Stoke City to spoil some of their recent upsurge. Marko Stamenic played 58 minutes and got a yellow card. Tough outing for him following some excellent performances. Libby Cacace is still injured but it sounds like he’s close to a return... not sure if he’s close enough to be available when Swansea face Wrexham on Saturday morning (9am NZT) but we shall see. And Tyler Bindon’s slick recent work ended after two appearances when Mark McGuinness returned from injury to reclaim his starting spot alongside Japhet Tanganga in the Sheffield United centre-back spots. The Blades lost 2-0 away to West Brom. Bring back Bindon!
Up Next: Blackburn vs Millwall at 1.30am on Sunday (NZT)
Rebekah Trewhitt - Lewes FC (English National League South) / Indiah-Paige Riley - Crystal Palace (English Super League 2)
We got that kiwi winger match-up that we were hoping for when Lewes hosted Crystal Palace in the FA Cup. Bex Trewhitt (#13) was at left-back for Lewes. Indi Riley (#20) was picked at right-back for Palace. With Palace dominating against their lower-tiered opponents, that meant lots of Riley running directly at her compatriot... such as the time she burned past her and whipped a low cross that was kicked onto her own post by one of the Lewes defenders.
Despite the predicted mismatch, Crystal Palace only won 1-0 thanks to a My Cato header late in the first stanza. Big shift from Lewes (and also from their goal-frames because CPFC hit the crossbar midway through the second half as well). No shame whatsoever in that close defeat. Trewhitt played 64 minutes while Riley got the full thing. Seems like IPR is finally starting to get a few more opportunities for Palace of late. Not enough... but more than before. Dunno if Riley was aware she was up against a fellow kiwi (no doubt Trewhitt would have been) but the same thing did happen a couple years ago in Holland when she was marked by Emma Pijnenburg and now they’re regular Fernies teammates. So there you go, watch out for the imminent rise of Rebekah Trewhitt.
Ipswich Town had no worries in joining Palace in the next round after a 5-0 win away against Portchester. Good to see Grace Neville with a full game there – she was part of the free kick routine that created their third goal in that comfortable win. Sunderland also cruised into the fourth round by beating Derby County 5-1. They conceded first after four minutes but drew level inside of ten and then never looked back. Katie Kitching played 70 minutes so she was out there for all the important action. No goals or assists but, like Neville, she was involved in a few of the moves that led to them.
In less palatable news, Durham were beaten 1-0 by Sheffield United to be knocked out of the cup. Mickey Foster played the full thing but Hannah Blake was an unused substitute (there’s your problem) as Durham conceded midway through the second half and then missed a very late stoppage time penalty that would have forced extra time. The next round is in about a month’s time where Sunderland will host WSL club London City Lionesses, Crystal Palace are away against global powerhouses Chelsea, and Ipswich Town host Sheffield United.
Up Next: Bristol City vs Crystal Palace in a Championship catch-up game at 8am on Thursday (NZT)
Elijah Just – Motherwell (Scottish Premiership)
They’re still drawing a whole lot of games, the latest being a 0-0 away against Dundee United, but all those points are adding up. Motherwell are seven games undefeated at the moment and fourth on the ladder. They dominated this one against an out-of-form opponent but struggled to turn their smooth passing patterns into threatening scoring chances. That’s been a common theme across their nine draws from 17 Premiership matches this season... though on the flipside this was a fifth clean sheet in a row. Elijah Just went as close to scoring as anyone with a deflected effort in the box. He played a full game. Not much else to report from this one.
Elsewhere, Kilmarnock lost 2-1 away to Aberdeen. They were 1-0 up until the last quarter of an hour when they conceded twice, including an 85th min penalty to win it. George Stanger made a goal-line clearance at one stage... but a fullback not keeping to the offside trap and an unwitting handball spoiled the good work. Stanger was subbed for the last five as they sought an equaliser that never came. This was Stanger’s first appearance since the last international break, having been managed carefully after returning slightly late from All Whites camp in America (might have been a sneaky injury in there too since he wasn’t even in the squad for one of those games). Good to see him back... they haven’t won a game without him this season. Granted, they’ve only won two games in total so that’s not saying much.
Up Next: Motherwell vs Dundee FC at 4am on Sunday (NZT)
Meikayla Moore & Ally Green – Calgary Wild (Canadian Northern Super League)
It’s roster update season over in Canada and Ally Green was one of six players released by Calgary Wild after the inaugural season of the NSL. Arguably could have been more given that the team didn’t make the top four in a six-team competition... but so it goes. No mention of Meikayla Moore which makes her the only one of the four NZers to feature this year who’ll be returning. It’s not clear whether she’s still under contract but her absence from the release list means we can probably expect an extension announcement in the coming weeks.
Ally Green was a regular throughout the season with Calgary, in fact she was playing more than Moore was over the last month of the campaign. But she’s been in and out of Football Ferns squads during that time and perhaps needs a more fruitful club situation to keep her career progressing. Either that or maybe she fancies another stint in the A-League, you never know. Green has played for Valerenga (Norway), AGF (Denmark), and Calgary Wild (Canada) in the three and a half years since leaving Sydney FC.
Rebecca Lake had already been confirmed to be leaving Vancouver Wild despite having won the championship with them after joining mid-season. Didn’t get big minutes but that’s only because of her short-term role - she started all three playoff games and was pretty influential during them. Milly Clegg’s not going to be retained by Halifax Tides following a frustrating term in which she only scored once in 20 appearances. In fairness she was kitting up for the worst team, who as a unit averaged less than a goal per ninety, and it’s pretty hard to get it done in those circumstances. The key for her was just playing as much as she did – even after that season, 20yo Clegg has still yet to reach 50 professional club games. She was on loan with Halifax so it was only ever a one-year thing. She’s got one more year on her NWSL contract with Racing Louisville where hopefully she’ll get more of a crack next year. Racing Lou have confirmed that she’ll be back with them in 2026.
Kiwis in 2025 Canadian NSL
Meikayla Moore (Calgary) – 22 games | 1718 minutes | 3 goals
Ally Green (Calgary) – 22 games | 1530 minutes | 1 goal
Milly Clegg (Halifax) – 20 games | 1332 minutes | 1 goal
Rebecca Lake (Vancouver FC) – 8 games | 498 minutes | 0 goals | 1 championship
Up Next: Some ins, some outs
Moses Dyer - Phnom Penh Crown (Cambodian Premier League)
Ouch... and also yeah nice. Dyer full-on landed face first in the turf after flipping in that late clincher as PPC won 3-0 against Cambodian Tiger, their first game for nearly four weeks following a wee break in the calendar. Kinda ruined his celebrations to have to rush the physio out to check on him amidst some concern from his teammates. They carried out a stretcher for Dyer but he sent it away empty and finished the match (they had a substitution remaining at that stage and would later use it on someone else). He was fine once he got over what was surely a bit of initial shock.
Which means we can shift the focus to the fact that he’s got 14 goal contributions (12g/2a) in 14 games for PPC across all competitions. Remember he’s the top scorer in the AFC Challenge League after the group phase. He’s now up to five in the Cambodian Premier League too. Ten games into the season, Crown remain undefeated. They are four points behind leaders Svay Rieng but that’s with a game in hand, plus they’ve already beaten Svay Rieng once this season (SR’s only defeat thus far – Dyer scored a 90+9th min penalty in a 3-2 result). Believe it or not, Dyer took a month or so to settle into his new team so that scoring rate is actually increasing – he’s hit the net in seven of his last eight matches.
And Moses Dyer may soon have some compatriot rivalry over in Cambodia because here’s a sneaky rumour for you: sources over there reckon that fourth placed Boeung Ket, whom PPC are playing in their next match, are soon to announce Myer Bevan as their new striker. They’ve recently added Aussie-Ivorian Cyrus Dehmie from Sydney Olympic so it’s possible he’s been signed instead of Bevan, although they did say there will be further additions ahead of the second half of the season. Time will tell if this one comes true. Bevan struggled for goals in the latest NZ National League but he still won the championship with Auckland City and you’d have to think he’d bang a few away at this level.
Up Next: PPC vs Boeung Ket at 0:00 on Monday (NZT)
Marco Lorenz - Eastern SC (Hong Kong Premier League)
Couldn’t say that Eastern FC’s AFC Cup run went entirely as hoped. The Hong Kong side were in the ‘happy to be there’ category after qualifying for Asia’s second tier continental tournament (Moses Dyer’s playing in the third tier one) but after going on to lose every game whilst conceding an average of five per game there will probably be a bad taste in the mouth. They began okay, only losing 3-1 to Gamba Osaka (Japan) despite going down to ten men and then 1-0 at home against Nam Dinh (Vietnam). But then it got ugly: 5-1 away to Ratchaburi (Thailand), 7-0 at home against Ratchaburi, 5-0 at home against Gamba Osaka... and then a whopping 9-0 away to Nam Dinh to round it out.
That last match was one of those awkward ones where Eastern SC had nothing to play for while their opponents needed to win by ten goals in order to make the second round. Motivation versus No Motivation. Nam Dinh only won by nine so everyone came away disappointed from that fixture. But the thing we care about is that Marco Lorenz, fresh from lining up for Auckland United for much of the year, started in five of those six AFC Cup games and featured off the bench in the other. Even accounting for the rubbish scorelines, that’s a heck of an experience for the 22yo. Happily, Eastern SC have since bounced back with a 2-1 win in their domestic competition – they’re currently in sixth place but with games in hand that could see them rise when the league resumes after a pause over New Years.
Up Next: Time for a month’s rest
Chris Wood - Nottingham Forest (English Premier League)
Sean Dyche on Dec 11: “Woody's making progress which is good. He's on the grass and he's had a couple of days on the grass and it's still a bit of a slow burner that one. It's not going to be immediate but he's back out there and just starting the process. So that's good news.”
Same old, same old. Chris Wood is slowly returning to fitness but it sounds like it might be another couple weeks before he’s available to play. Liberato Cacace should be closer to a return with Wrexham, he’s also back on the grass in training. Cacace last played on 5 November. Wood last played on 18 October. It’s not been the same without them... but we’re getting closer.
Up Next: Patience, friends
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